Hundreds of attendees and volunteers joined together to take part in the seven community projects Saturday, September 21, the City’s Fourth Annual UNITE (Uniting Neighbors in a Team Effort) Lancaster program. This year’s UNITE projects promoted children’s literacy, fitness for local high school students, job-seeking skills, community art, school beautification, learning skills via chess, and the creation of a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for a local school—all with a focus on strengthening community ties.
“We extend our gratitude to the many volunteers, sponsors and participants who made this year’s UNITE Lancaster such a success,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “Each year the UNITE Lancaster program continues to draw together residents of all ages, from all walks of life, to come together and make a difference in their City.”
At Desert View Elementary School, approximately 45 community volunteers, students and PTO members came together to spruce up the school campus. The beautification projects included the repainting of a playground wall, flowers planted at the kindergarten entrance gate, clean-up of the jungle gym area, and the re-roofing of the kindergarten storage shed. The completed projects made the school environment more welcoming and helped the students who volunteered gain a better appreciation for their school, while allowing the community an opportunity to take a more active role in improving their community.
UNITE Lancaster partnered with volunteers from the Lancaster WorkSource Center, Jewish Vocational Services, New Beginning Outreach, and Antelope Valley Partners for Health to provide local residents with First Impression job fair workshops. Approximately 50 job seekers attended the workshops. These workshops provided attendees with critical information on how to conduct a comprehensive job search and be prepared to successfully attend and navigate through a job fair. The attendees also received priority placement at the Job Services Network Job Fair the following week, getting the chance to meet with job fair employers prior to the regular attendees.
The Literacy Festival experienced an excellent turnout, with approximately 70 children and 10 volunteers participating, including Girl Scouts from local GSGLA Troops 3322 and 60402, as well as performers from Eastside High School String Orchestra. This community event celebrated literacy, including various activities where the children wrote a unique story of their own. A project leader reported that the children were extremely creative in making different types of books, finding the words (via the “word bin” activity) to create their own stories, and creating the artwork to accompany their stories. These activities helped families connect with literacy in a very tangible and tactile way, allowing children to demonstrate their talents to both their parents and to themselves. In addition, volunteers provided children with a new book from Scholastic.
44 children and 16 community volunteers participated in the second annual UNITE Chess Mini-Game© Tournament. A wide variety of research has found that the learning and playing of chess improves the Pattern Recognition skills necessary for both reading and math ability. Consequently, although the children participating in this chess event were simply focused on having fun, they were actually improving their learning skills. In addition, each family received a free tournament-standard chess set at the end of the event, allowing them to continue practicing the games they learned during the event.
The Family Unites Community Art project held at Mariposa Park began the day as a set of three 4’x4’x4’ wooden cubes which read “FAMILY” on either side. During the course of the day, approximately 40 attendees arrived to participate in this interactive community art display, either through bringing a picture of their family or drawing a picture of them. The project, designed to initiate dialog amongst families of different backgrounds, was especially successful due to the visible diversity of the families which participated.
During the “Fitted” Health Fair, high school students learned about healthy eating through cooking demonstrations, and nutritional information. They then participated in several recreational/exercise activities, including basketball, football, and hip-hop dance sessions with a live DJ. This event organized by the Lancaster Youth Development Foundation, was attended by more than 25 youths and a handful of adult volunteers. The young attendees received the opportunity to enjoy several fun and “cool” ways to stay fit, leaving with a better understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
With UNITE Lancaster support, Lincoln Elementary School successfully hosted the kick-off event launching their new PTO – the Lincoln Elementary Association of Parents (LEAP). Approximately 150 parents of Lincoln students registered for LEAP during the community event, which featured a BBQ, basketball challenge, bike ride, Zumba class, and even a bike raffle (thanks to a Bicycle John’s generous donation of a bike). Program leaders noted that the event had “good energy” and a great community vibe, effectively connecting the families of Lincoln students with school faculty, as well as several local non-profits, who were on hand to provide helpful information and resources.
Launched in 2010, the UNITE program is administered by the City’s Lancaster Neighborhood Vitalization Commission as well as the Safer Stronger Neighborhoods Committee, which is comprised of City staff. Each year, the City invites citizens and local community organizations to submit their project applications. The winning UNITE projects, which take place on “UNITE day” in September, receive support from the City and local sponsors. 2013 UNITE sponsors include: Waste Management (a City Partner); Home Depot; Lee’s Bee’s; Round Table Pizzas; Signs and Designs; Target; Lowe’s; and Wal-Mart.
“Our UNITE Lancaster program is just one of many ways residents can build positive relationships with their neighbors, enhance their community, and better enjoy their city,” said Vice Mayor Marvin Crist. “Whether you volunteer for a neighborhood clean-up project, sponsor a community event through your business, or even just attend a local festival with friends and family, all these activities contribute to building community pride and an atmosphere of neighborliness.”
Other City of Lancaster events held during the month of September included the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, Celebrate America on The BLVD, and the Job Services Network Job Fair. Residents have many more local happenings to look forward to this season, including Bark at the Park this weekend, October 5-6, the CA Circuit Finals Rodeo at the AV Fairgrounds October 18-20, the yearly BooLVD Halloween Festival on October 26, the first annual Field of Drafts beer festival November 9, and numerous other events leading up to the holidays.
For further information regarding the UNITE program, please visit http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/unite.
